HEMODYNAMIC-CHANGES INDUCED BY CILAZAPRIL AND ATENOLOL DURING ISOMETRIC STRESS IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

We studied 16 mild to moderate essential hypertensive patients (14 mal e, 2 female; mean age 45 years, range 34-55 years) in order to investi gate the effects of an ACE inhibitor, cilazapril (5 mg o. d.) and a se lective P-blocker, atenolol (100 mg o. d.) on the hemodynamics of the brachial and carotid arteries after an isometric stress test with a ha ndgrip. Both drugs caused a statistically significant decrease in bloo d pressure after three months' treatment, but only cilazapril reduced it after the first dose. Heart rate was reduced only by atenolol (61 /- 3 vs 71 +/- 3 bpm; p <0.01). Changes in forearm compliance and char acteristic impedance showed a difference statistically significant bot h for acute test and after three months of treatment. The increase in blood pressure during handgrip did not differ appreciably between the two treatment groups. On the contrary, after handgrip only cilazapril caused a significant increase of the reactive hyperemia.